Oregon shooter said to have singled out Christians for killing in 'horrific … – Washington Post

ROSEBURG, Ore. — The fourth day of the fall term was underway when bullets tore into the classrooms of Umpqua Community College, adding that tranquil timber town to the grim roster of places whose histories are now permanently cast in terms of “before” and “after.”
Officials said that nine victims were killed, plus the gunman. And at least 10 others were admitted for treatment at the Mercy Medical Center, said the chief medical officer, Jason Gray, on Friday. Three patients were transferred to larger facilities for more intensive care, he added.
“The days and weeks ahead will be the most challenging” as the small community copes with the aftermath, Gray said.
The names of those killed and wounded were not yet released nor would Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin name the shooter publicly, more out of rage than discretion. “I will not name the shooter,” he said at a news conference Thursday night. “I will not give him credit for this horrific act of cowardice. Media will get the name confirmed in time … but you will never hear us use it.”

Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin says he won’t name the man who shot and killed nine people on a community college campus on Oct. 1, so to “not give him the credit he probably sought.” The gunman, identified by an anonymous official as Chris Harper Mercer, was also killed. (Associated Press)

The transition from the anonymity of “before” to the notoriety of “after” took just about 10 terrifying minutes, during which the alleged shooter — identified by a U.S. law enforcement official as Chris Harper Mercer — strode through a school building armed with three pistols and a semiautomatic rifle. Clad in a dark shirt and jeans, driven by a motive that’s still unknown, he methodically spewed bullets into classrooms full of students, who hid behind desks and desperately tried to block doors that didn’t lock.
[Shooter left behind online portrait of a lonely youth with a grudge]
In one classroom, he appeared to single out Christian students for killing, according to witness Anastasia Boylan.
“He said, ‘Good, because you’re a Christian, you’re going to see God in just about one second, …Read More